Valentine's Day Names

From the Irish Leannan, this, unfortunately, would be constantly mistaken for Lennon.

Where as a serenade is an evening love song, an aubade is sung first thing in the morning.

Philippine might be taken as an ethnic identification rather than a name in the U.S. Philippa would be more easily understood, though if you don't mind eternally correcting people, Philippine can make an interesting alternative. Pippa can be a short form of Philippine as well as Philippa.

As the French Esme becomes more popular, it will inevitably spawn spelling variations. This one, like Zoey or Layla, clarifies pronunciation, so while we prefer the original, that's not a bad thing.

Karita and Karitas are the Icelandic spins on Charity, also found as Carita and Caritas throughout Scandinavia. While to the English speakers, these names may feel like a Latinate endearment, they are popular names in their own right.

This sweet-sounding and sweet meaning name is popular across the Middle East and Central Asia. Notable bearers include actress Nazanin Boniadi and British-Iranian citizen Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, whose arrest and imprisonment in Iran in 2016 continues to make headlines.

Popular in Puerto Rico since the 2000s and now in the US too, Dariel is a modern, elaborated form or Darrell or Darren, inspired by the likes of Gabriel and Daniel. Darrell (which might also be the inspiration behind Darren) derived from a Norman French surname, d'Airelle, referring to someone who came from Airelle in France.

Friendly and energetic name from the Mende language of West Africa.

A seriously classic name meaning love, Adelpha is also the name for a genus of butterflies.

Agapi has a sweet meaning of love and affection, but though this name is used in modern Greece, it's one of the Greek names for girls that has not yet emigrated to the US along with so many of her sisters.

You can just hear some sassy dame in a 1930s movie using this name. We prefer the original -- or even its original, Amabel.

Lively sounding Hebrew choice.

As a first name, Valent is most often seen as a variant of Valentine used in Croatia. But individuals with Valent as a surname can be found all over the world, making this name an intriguing blend of "offbeat European" and "on-trend surname". Either way you look at it, its chic romantic sound makes Valent a handsome possibility.

Simple African name all-but-unknown in the U.S. and Europe, which is exactly why it might make a perfect choice. Similarity to such popular names as Ava and Eva (and the Irish Aoife) makes it more familiar, but potentially more confusing.

This simple but alluring name — some might associate it with the Kama Sutra — was chosen by heavy metal rocker Sammy Hagar for his daughter.

Most modern parents would probably prefer the cooler Rowan.

This unusual name found in Scottish poetry would make a distinctive Gaelic pick.

Italian form of Gratian, the name of a Roman emperor who campaigned across the Rhine and favored Christianity over paganism. Graziano isn't common either in the English-speaking world or its native Italy, although the boxer Rocky Graziano adopted it from his grandfather's surname. In the current vogue for names ending in -o and Italian names, it may be worth a second look.

An alternative to the more familiar Aviva.

One of the few Czech names that seems accessible here.